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A pilot turned up for work almost six-and-a-half times over the drink limit to fly a plane, a jury heard.
James Yates smelled strongly of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet when he turned up for duty at Manchester Airport, the city's crown court heard.
Staff called police and the 46-year-old was arrested and failed a breath test.
Mr Yates told officers he intended to tell the captain he was sick and unable to work. He denies a charge of acting as first officer while over the limit.
A first officer with American Airlines, Mr Yates was to be one of three pilots on a mid-morning flight to Chicago with 181 passengers on board on 11 February last year.
But when he went to go through a security gate for flight crew he could not find his identification security pass.
Mr Yates, a US citizen, was arrested and taken to Altrincham Police Station where a doctor took a blood sample.
This gave a result of 129 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the court was told.
The legal limit for flying an aircraft is 20 milligrams.
Prosecution barrister Martin Walsh said that Mr Yates's claim that he did not intend to work that day was untrue.
He said: "He arrived at airport in uniform. He tried to gain entrance through security checks used by the air crew, not by the passengers."
Mr Yates denies a single charge of acting as first officer, while over the limit.
The maximum sentence for the offence is two years in prison.
The trial continues.
James Yates smelled strongly of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet when he turned up for duty at Manchester Airport, the city's crown court heard.
Staff called police and the 46-year-old was arrested and failed a breath test.
Mr Yates told officers he intended to tell the captain he was sick and unable to work. He denies a charge of acting as first officer while over the limit.
A first officer with American Airlines, Mr Yates was to be one of three pilots on a mid-morning flight to Chicago with 181 passengers on board on 11 February last year.
But when he went to go through a security gate for flight crew he could not find his identification security pass.
Mr Yates, a US citizen, was arrested and taken to Altrincham Police Station where a doctor took a blood sample.
This gave a result of 129 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the court was told.
The legal limit for flying an aircraft is 20 milligrams.
Prosecution barrister Martin Walsh said that Mr Yates's claim that he did not intend to work that day was untrue.
He said: "He arrived at airport in uniform. He tried to gain entrance through security checks used by the air crew, not by the passengers."
Mr Yates denies a single charge of acting as first officer, while over the limit.
The maximum sentence for the offence is two years in prison.
The trial continues.
